Long Ride Home
by bonnyblonde
Summary: Carol and Daryl find themselves alone for the first time since Carol helped free the group from their captors at Terminus. Daryl has no choice but to reveal the truth about his actions and hope that Carol can find forgiveness in her heart. MA for inevitable Caryl smut!
1. Chapter 1

_This story is dedicated to Jennifer Melton, my current muse. For her and our lovely discussion about the erotic potential of motorcycles, I present this lovely little piece of naughty smut (just remember, there can be no physical pay-off, though, without immersing Carol and Daryl in angst first!)_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"It's so quiet," Carol remarked softly, gazing out the front passenger window. "Hundreds of walkers only a week ago and not a single sign of them now."

Daryl eased the car through the collapsed fence and into the grassy prison yard, scanning their surroundings with a sharp eye for any sign of activity. Carol was right; there was nothing stirring but he couldn't shake the deeply unsettled feelings that persisted. Whether it was past events haunting him or his instincts warning him of existing danger, he couldn't say, but he knew with certainty that the West Georgia Correctional Facility was the last place he wanted to be.

If Daryl had had his way, the prison would have remained a part of their past for good. The few pleasant memories that had come from their time here had been torn away by the brutal, bloody final confrontation with the Governor. So many had died that day, damned decent people whose only crime was not being vicious enough to fight back. No good could come from rehashing those events, or by seeing what little remained of what had at one point seemed a safe refuge. But here he was anyway, because in the end the decision hadn't really been his to make.

There'd be so much left behind, so many tiny pieces of everyone's life abandoned in the confusion and chaos of the attack that a trip back became inevitable. And when Carol volunteered to be the one to gather whatever belongings and supplies hadn't been destroyed or scavenged, Daryl had no choice but to provide her with an armed escort. Not that she needed it; she'd proven again that she was more than capable of kicking ass on her own and he felt like a huge douchebag for continually underestimating her. The truth was, though, that she wasn't going anywhere without him from now on, even if that meant he had to walk her to the bathroom and back three or four times a day. How often had he believed that he'd lost her for good? Too often for comfort, he acknowledged, and there was no fuckin' way he would go through _that_ again.

There was still a lot left unsaid between him and Carol, and Daryl was struggling to figure out where to even begin. After Carol had freed them and they'd taken control of Terminus, there had been far too much to do for the two of them to get in more than a brief, relieved hug at seeing one another again. But instead of taking advantage of their hour-long car ride to finally confess his remorse, awkward silence had filled the space between them and Daryl was left with the growing worry that he'd finally broken the bond that had brought them so close over the past few years. The thought alone made him sick to his stomach.

Daryl slowed to a stop between the decimated guard towers and Carol hopped out, hauling aside the remnants of the twisted, ruined gate so he could drive further into the compound. There was no point in trying to close it behind them – it was long past being useful as a barrier. Carol rested her hand on her hunting knife and stared around at all that was left of what had once been their home, waiting as he parked.

"Most of our stuff is still in C-Block," he said as he retrieved his crossbow from the trunk. He shut it as quietly as he could and strode over to where Carol stood. "Let's start there then see if there's anything left for ammunition, load up whatever will fit."

Carol looked at him and gave him one of her mysterious little smiles, the first one he'd seen since she'd returned. Seeing her expression, he felt his heart lift a little with the hope that maybe there was still a spark of – _something_ – left between them, that he hadn't lost her trust entirely. "We'll get to that," she assured, walking towards the shop where the prison staff had once repaired maintenance equipment, "but I have something you're going to want to see first."

He trailed behind her, his weapon halfway at the ready in case something gruesome and hungry suddenly staggered out from the shadows. Nothing moved though, and he ended up following Carol into the metal shed. She shut the door firmly behind them and slipped a chunk of two-by-four through the steel brackets on either side, barricading them within.

There was a small window at the peak of the roof and a shaft of sunlight shone down on the filthy, oil-spattered dirt floor. A smell reminiscent of Daryl's teen years permeated the dank air; the scent of old machinery, dust and sweat was a powerful reminder of the hours he'd spent trying to keep their broken-down vehicles in running order.

Tools were discarded on the stained wooden work benches, abandoned by men for whom their usefulness had long since ceased to exist. Daryl walked around the cramped space, lost for a few moments in a distant and largely unpleasant past. The garage on the Dixon homestead had been an escape, a place to forget every shitty thing in his life and give all his attention to patchig things together well enough that they'd work for at least another day or two. Out back, no one bothered him...no one hurt him. As long as he stayed out of sight, his old man left him alone.

"I know you came with me today because you knew how much it meant for our friends to get back their belongings, however small and unimportant those things might seem now," Carol said, the confined space amplifying her voice. "But right after you left for the veterinarian college, I made sure that a little piece of _your_ past would be safe until you returned. Given all that happened afterwards, I'm glad I did..."

She brushed past him and tugging on a heavy canvas tarp, she uncovered Merle's Triumph motorcycle. The chrome gleamed as the few beams of sun glanced off the surface of the handlebars and fenders, and the soft black leather had been buffed cleaner than he'd seen it in years. The wheels were braced by thick, roughly-made wooden blocks that kept the big bike balanced and off the ground in order to preserve the tires, and the gauges were so clean that he couldn't even see the glass. The sight of what had once been Merle's pride and joy hit Daryl hard, his chest aching as though he'd been struck by something heavy right above his heart.

"You did this...for me?" he whispered hoarsely, his throat tightening. She was right – this was the only thing he had left of his brother, the last remaining proof of Merle's conflicted existence. And up until the second he saw it, Daryl had no idea how much it meant to him that it hadn't been destroyed along with almost everything else.

Carol brushed the dust off her hands and grinned proudly at him. "The older boys couldn't seem to resist touching it when you weren't around to scare the hell out of them. I put them to work, had them polish and shine and clean it up, and then pull it in here and put it up on those blocks so it would be ready to go when spring rolled around again. I'd better warn you, I'm pretty sure Carl has fallen in love with it. When you bring it back to Terminus, don't be surprised to see him mooning over it when he thinks you're not looking."

Before Daryl knew it, tears rimmed his eyes and he twisted away from her, praying to God that she hadn't noticed. Because if he was any kind of man, he wouldn't be bawling like some fuckin' little girl just from seeing Merle's piece of shit bike, or from knowing that Carol had done something so incredibly touching and thoughtful for him when he hadn't even had the goddamned stones to go looking for her after the prison had fallen...

Her fingers settled gently on his arm. "I know the pain never goes away," she murmured, squeezing his bicep in a subtle show of support. "But I didn't do this to hurt you. I'm sorry...I honestly thought you'd be happy that it was still here, waiting for you."

His crossbow dropped from his hands and he turned to her, wrapping his arms around her and tucking his face into the crook of her neck. She gasped in surprise, clearly taken aback that he was actually holding her when for so long he'd hardly dared to touch her beyond a few affectionate shoulder bumps or friendly pats. Eventually she hugged him back, even though he could tell she wasn't entirely comfortable doing so.

"I don't deserve this," he said, bunching the back of her jacket in his fists so she couldn't pull away. "You shouldn't...after what I done, you shouldn't care 'bout me like that."

Carol stiffened in his embrace. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly. "What did you do?"

Daryl drew in a shaky breath but didn't let her go. He couldn't look her in the face, wouldn't be able to say what needed saying if he was staring into those lovely pale eyes of hers. "I didn't...after the Governor attacked, after everyone scattered, I didn't come looking for you. I know I should've, but I was just..."

The words stuck in his throat. How could he tell her how terrified he'd been at the thought of what he might find if he _had_ gone looking? It had been easier to hope she was okay than to know for sure, and if that didn't make him the world's biggest damned coward, he didn't know what would.

"Was it because of Beth?" Carol queried softly, trying to puzzle out what he was trying to say. "Because Rick told me you two escaped together. I know you had to look after her, had to keep her safe. That was absolutely the right decision; I know how to take care of myself, but Beth – she's never been very strong."

"That's not why," he replied cautiously. "It was...there was more to it than that."

Carol drew back and pushed against his chest, forcing him into taking a slow step back. "What are you trying to tell me? Is there more to you and Beth being together than you're willing to admit?"

When he did finally meet her gaze, the distress he saw just about tore his heart out, and that made him furious; furious with himself for having failed her when she needed him, furious that Tyreese had been there for her when it _should_ have been him. And outraged that she would even think that how he felt about Beth was anything at all like what he felt for Carol. Beth was just a kid, for Christ's sake! Carol was...

Carol was everything good in his life. Everything he wanted, the one who filled up all the hollow places inside of him. The one he _loved_. And he'd treated her like crap.

"I didn't come for you because...because I was _afraid_, okay?!" he barked, knowing even as he did it that he had no right to take out his anger on her. He couldn't seem to help himself, though, and that just fed it further.

Her eyes widened at his sharp tone, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Afraid of what?" she asked coolly, her chin tilting defensively.

"Of what I might find!" Daryl shot back, his fingers curling into fists as he fought to control his temper. "If I'd have tracked you down only to find out you _hadn't_ made it after all...if you'd risen again and turned into one of them _things_, and I had to see that, had to be the one to put you down..." Daryl swallowed hard, his stupid tears threatening again, and didn't that just piss him off even more. "I woulda done myself in, right then an' there, knowin' you were all alone when you died...knowin' that if I'd just got to you faster, you mighta survived. I couldn't handle that! God dammit, don't you get that? Without you, there'd be no _me_!"

"Oh, Daryl," she sighed wearily, laying her hand over her heart as though she was trying to ease the pain that he knew he'd caused her. Tears shone in her eyes and she blinked rapidly as she fought to hold them back.

"Carol – I'm so sorry!" he said, his words rushing out in what sounded like a desperate plea. "I wish I was different, that I knew how to say and do the right things when it counted. I'm just...broken, y'know? And I know you might never trust me again like you did before, but I'll do whatever it takes to try and fix this..."

Carol stepped forward and pressed her fingertips to his mouth, stopping him from saying any more. He closed his eyes and sighed as his anger finally drained away, caught off-guard at how soft her skin was against his lips and wishing that when it had still mattered, he'd have had the guts to show her what she really meant to him. "I'm not looking for a hero now, Daryl," she said. "You were exactly that for a long time and I appreciated it so much, but I don't need you like that anymore."

He felt a crushing weight on his heart, so great was the surge of agony at her words. He'd been right; what he'd done – or hadn't done, as the case may be – had unraveled everything they'd shared over the years. There was no one to blame but himself, though, was there? If he hadn't fallen to pieces after the Governor's attack, if he hadn't wasted his time childishly trying to pretend the world away while he was with Beth, the story might have had a happier ending.

He wanted to escape right at that moment, wanted to take Merle's bike and ride until he either ran out of gas or time, whichever came first. But that would be just one more chicken-shit move, and he was done taking the easy way out. "I just...I wanted you to know how sorry I am that it all went the way it did. Some things can't be forgiven," he muttered as his sorrow threatened to overwhelm him. "I understand."

Carol cupped his face, caressing his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "No, I don't think you do," she said. "Daryl – look at me, please."

When he reluctantly complied, she gave him a gentle smile. "I'm long past the point where I'm willing to hide from a fight and wait for someone else to protect me. And I'm not making light of the thousand times you stepped up to keep me safe, because I'll always be grateful for that. But just because I don't need you to ride in on your white steed and rescue me doesn't mean I don't still need you in _other_ ways. In ways that are far more important."

He looked deeply into her eyes and saw only the same loving kindness she'd always shown him. "What other ways?" he asked despondently. "That's the only thing I got to offer anyone!" Or not, as it turned out. He hated himself all over again for letting her down in when it truly counted.

She shook her head and closed the short distance between them. "You're wrong," she whispered. "Oh, sweetheart, _so_ wrong. There's much more to you than a hunter or a soldier, even if you can't see it yourself."

"That ain't true," he huffed dismissively. He was just Daryl Dixon – no one special, not by a long shot. Why couldn't she understand that?

By way of response, she framed his face with her hands then rose up on her toes and kissed him. The kiss was soft, really nothing more than a brief graze of her lips against his, but the shock of it sizzled through his veins and sent a thrilling shiver up the length of his spine. His breath shuddered from his lungs in surprise and he gaped at her, almost afraid that he'd dreamt the whole thing. He'd wanted to kiss her for such a long time, but never had he imagined the profound effect something so simple would have on him.

"I'll always need your sweetness, your strength, your loyalty...your love," she murmured huskily, slipping her arms around his neck. She hugged him and he closed his eyes again so he could savour the feel of her slight body tucked against his. "I want you to remember this – I became who I am now because _you_ changed me. That means that without you, there'd be no me either."

There were no words that Daryl could think of, no way to vocalize how deeply what she'd said touched him. He sagged with relief and held her close enough that he could feel her heart beating. Carol might not ask or even want it of him, but he knew with every ounce of his being that he'd make any sacrifice to keep her safe and ensure she'd never be without him again.

* * *

_More to come, I promise...now that we've endured the 'feels' portion of the program, onto the main event!_


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, sorry this took forever to get posted...it was so long and hard (tee hee, **Jennifer Melton**!). Thank you for your amazing patience, and thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. Be warned: while there is still a great deal of heartfelt love in this chapter, there are decidedly ADULT-type situations that may not be suitable for the younger set. Or anyone who doesn't ship Caryl, for that matter! :)

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Daryl wasn't sure the exact moment his world shifted on its axis, but he gradually became aware of a different kind tension that had nothing to do with either high emotions or declarations of love. Carol's nearness called to him, bringing his body to life in a way he'd never experienced before. Everything about her seemed to stand out in new, stark relief to their drab surroundings – her breasts pressing against his chest with every breath she took, her faintly floral scent filling his senses, her hair brushing silkily against his cheek. And she was still his Carol, but not Carol as he'd ever really allowed himself to think about her before. It was one thing to adore everything about her and fantasize about her in vague romantic terms, but the sharp, searing streak of arousal that lanced through him as she held him close was something else entirely.

The worst part was that he wasn't entirely sure what to do about it. He'd made so many stupid, hurtful decisions when it came to Carol. If he did the wrong thing again, caused her another moment of pain because his instincts were leading him astray, it would destroy him. Despite the brief but electrifying kiss she'd given him, he wasn't entirely certain that what he was feeling wasn't completely one-sided. He had to know which way the wind was blowing before he went and made some dumb-assed move that would see ruin his chances with her for good.

As he was trying to subtly figure out how she truly felt about him – and God knew, subtleness wasn't exactly his speciality – Carol turned her head and nuzzled his neck, her lips just barely grazing his skin and her breath tickling his ear. He tried but was unsuccessful in suppressing a shiver of pleasure.

She lifted her head and smiled up at him knowingly, her eyes sparkling with the sort of happiness he hadn't seen in ages. Raising her hand, she smoothed his whisker-rough jaw with the back of her fingers, and as he stared down into her face he could see that she understood _exactly_ the direction his thoughts had taken. Better yet, he knew without a doubt that she felt the connection every bit as strongly as he did and his pulse raced with growing excitement.

Focusing her gaze on his mouth, Carol clutched his shoulders and rose up to kiss him again. It was bolder and more intense than their first kiss, and he dared to steal a taste of his own when she gave him the chance, sweeping his tongue past her teeth to explore her sweet heat. She hummed with desire and sucked his tongue in further, tangling it with hers in imitation of a much more intimate act.

"I've waited such a long time," she sighed against his lips, her voice husky with emotion. "I was beginning to think it would never happen for us."

"I've loved you forever, Carol, but I tried not to see you in that way," he admitted reluctantly. "Saw what happened with some of the others in the group, how sex only seemed to fuck everything up. You were – you _are – _more important to me than that."

She drew back and gave him a mischievous grin. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered that I was the object of such devotion, or upset that you were able to resist my feminine wiles for as long as you did." Her expression grew more thoughtful. "You said you _tried_ not to see me that way? Does that mean sometimes you _did_?"

Despite the stifling heat in the small, enclosed space, Daryl felt his cheeks flush hot. "Sometimes, yeah. I couldn't help it. Christ, ain't been with anyone since way before Merle an' me struck out on our own. Can't feel the way I do about you and not wonder what it'd be like between us."

"I wondered, too," she admitted coyly, brushing his bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. "Okay, I thought about it all the time. Being around you so much and not being able to get that close to you just about drove me crazy."

"Yeah? And when you thought about it," he teased, thrilled more than he was willing to admit that she'd had her own lustful fantasies about him, "what'd you do?"

A beautiful pink blush spread quickly up her neck and over her cheeks, and he took it as a small victory that he'd finally managed to shake her composure. "Well," she laughed, running her fingertips down his bare arms and smiling as she watched the play of his muscles under his skin. "Something I'm hoping I won't have to do anymore now that we're finally together."

Cradling the back of her head and tangling his fingers in her curly hair, he kissed her again, taking his time so he could memorize both the smooth slide of her lips on his and the soft whimper of longing that came from low in her throat. "You ain't gonna _hafta_...but maybe you'll still do it for me if I ask nice?" he suggested, daring to flick his tongue against hers.

"Maybe. We'll see," Carol replied, wriggling out of his arms. She took a step back and absent mindedly fingered the buttons on her blouse. "Do you know what I want to do right now, though, more than anything?"

He barely held back at groan at the mere thought of the possibilities. What he hadn't told Carol was that he'd not only been celibate since long before the rise of the walkers, but he hadn't even _looked_ at anyone except her in all that time. There'd been a few attractive women in their group, and at least one who would've been a guaranteed lay, but he'd had no interest at all in pursuing them. Even the idea had left him cold – it was Carol or no one. "Tell me...I'm up for anything..." he growled.

"I want to go for a ride on your motorcycle," she replied, her lips curling into a wicked grin.

He frowned, her suggestion seemingly coming out of left field. "Don't think that's such a hot idea," he said hesitantly, wishing they still lived in the kind of world where they could give into such impulses and hit the road. Just the thought of Carol's thighs bracketing his from behind and her breasts jiggling against his back as the big engine rumbled beneath them made his swollen cock kick hard against the back of his zipper. "No way of knowing who or what's lurking 'round here. I know you don't want me protectin' you no more, but I ain't gonna do something that'll outright put you in harm's way neither."

Carol arched her eyebrow at him. "No, you don't understand. I'm not interested in riding the _motorcycle_, Daryl," she continued, casually undoing her top and shrugging it off her freckled shoulders. "We wouldn't be going anywhere."

He sucked in a breath as the smooth, pale mounds of her breasts were exposed, secured by only the flimsiest cups of intricate black lace. "You just want to...do it...on the bike?"

She paused in unzipping her khakis and glanced up at him from beneath her dark, feathery eyelashes. "I want to _fuck_ you on the bike, yes. I want you to slide as far back on that saddle as you can, then lean back so I can mount you and take that ride I've wanted for so many years."

It took every shred of restraint that Daryl could muster not to cum at the picture she'd painted in his imagination, and he shifted uncomfortably as his arousal grew almost unbearable. "Thought about this a lot, have you?" he said, working his belt buckle loose and toeing off his boots.

"Every time you straddled that seat, every time I heard you rev that engine, every time you roared off down the road…yes. I've thought about it a lot," she confided brazenly, stepping out of her pants and kicking them aside. The sight of her clad only in her bra and the tiniest pair of panties he'd ever seen just about stopped his heart. Her waist was narrow, the muscles of her abdomen flat and toned. Her hips flared out enticingly and his fingers itched to follow the line of her long, lithe legs and hook them snugly around his waist.

"Don't know how stable the bike's gonna be," he warned, staring at her as she stalked towards him and whipped down the fly on his jeans. His breath hitched as her fingers inadvertently brushed his throbbing erection and his stomach muscles clenched hard.

"Trust me, we'll make it work," she said, crouching briefly as she tugged his pants down past his knees. As she slowly stood up again, she dragged her fingernails up his thighs and then reached between his legs to cup him through the thin cotton of his shorts. Daryl's eyes rolled back and his heart thudded like a drum as she gently fondled him, exploring every inch of him with a thoroughness that left his knees trembling.

She clasped the nape of his neck with her free hand and pulled his face close, kissing him and caressing his tongue with hers in time with the long, deft strokes she was applying to his rigid sex. He made a sound of disappointed protest when she stopped, but that was quickly replaced by a deep moan when she slipped her hand under his waistband and wrapped her slender fingers around his shaft.

"Get on that bike; I'm done waiting for you," she purred as he flexed his hips, slowly thrusting into her palm. When her fingertips drifted over the moist tip of his erection, a tremor moved through his body that threatened to shake him apart.

When he gingerly withdrew from her firm, velvety grasp, her gaze dropped to his waist and she watched raptly as he shimmied out of his underwear and kicked everything aside to stand completely nude before her.

Carol's eyes widened slightly and she swallowed hard as she took all of him in. There was a damp sheen of perspiration on her chest, and his cock bobbed heavily when he noticed that her nipples were hard as little pebbles beneath her lacy bra. He'd seen Carol in any number of circumstances and situations, but never when she was aroused. She was incredibly beautiful in her desire, completely shameless in the possessive, hungry way she was staring at him.

He'd known Carol was strong – she'd have had to be to get through everything life had thrown her way both before and after the walker uprising – but this dominating side of her was a surprising turn-on. He'd always felt like he'd been the one in control when it came to their relationship, his protective nature roused by what he had once believed was helplessness. There was no question now who was calling the shots but that didn't necessarily mean he was going to give in _that_ easily...

"You first," he replied, grabbing her by her waist and pulling her close. At the same time, he turned her around and backed her towards the Triumph. "Gotta prime the engine before we start if the ride's gonna be good for both of us, don't ya think?"

Her brow knitted in confusion. "What do you mean, prime the...?"

She gave a surprised squeak when Daryl grabbed her hips and lifted her up sideways onto the supple leather seat. He stepped into the gap between her legs and ducked his head, planting hot open mouth kisses along the smooth, elegant column of her neck. "What I mean," he said, licking at the point where her pulse was thrumming just beneath her ear, "is that I'm gonna to take care of _you_ first."

Turning her head, Carol caught him in another kiss, her lush lips moving against his and her sweet taste spread through him like buttered rum. When she draped her arms around his neck, he slid his hands over her shoulder blades and deftly unhooked her bra, dragging it down her arms and tossing it carelessly aside.

As he cupped the taut weight of her breasts in his palms, he rolled his hips against her mound and her head fell back with a blissful cry. Daryl took the chance to venture lower, nuzzling the hollow of her throat and sampling the faintly salty essence of her skin. He kissed his way down her chest, rubbing his bristly chin against her breast a heartbeat before he sucked one of her nipples into the heat of his mouth. As he drew her deep onto his tongue and suckled rhythmically, she writhed against him, seeking relief for the same desperate desire she'd ignited within him.

He let her distended nipple slip from between his lips but before she could even begin to recover her senses, he laved at her other breast with his tongue, swirling and tormenting until she arched her back with a sound of helpless longing and forced herself further into the welcoming haven of his mouth. Carol speared her fingers through his hair and clutched his head to her breast, and his cock bucked against the damp warmth of her center as the dizzying, tantalizing smell of her arousal filled the air between them.

Daryl's hands trembled with barely-held restraint as he worked her panties over the flare of her hips, waiting until she lifted her ass off the seat so he could strip them off. He stayed crouched before her, riveted as he gazed at the rosy, glistening folds of her sex. He slid an impatient finger into her swollen channel and groaned at the slick, grasping sensation of her around him. A shiver ran through her limbs and she gasped breathlessly at the intrusion.

"I want you to touch yourself," he murmured, adding a second finger and stretching her tight little sheath wider. "I wanna see what you did when you thought about me all those times. Show me, babe."

She hesitated only a moment before she slowly slid her dainty, seeking fingers down between her legs. Parting her legs further, she sought out the fleshy nub at the apex of her slit and as he watched, she dipped into her own moisture and then began lightly circling her clit. Her hips instinctively flexed forward, forcing his fingers further in. She responded by panting in short, sharp breaths, working herself towards a quick release.

He gently caressed the soft inner skin of her thigh with his free hand, and pearls of moisture leaked from the tip of his member when she moaned deeply. She quivered with anticipation as he leaned forward and leisurely licked a path from her opening to her clit, but even he didn't expect the sudden scream of ecstasy that broke from her throat when he finally covered her sweet, swollen pussy with his mouth.

Carol blindly reached out and grasped the handlebar with one hand and fisted tufts of his hair in the other, making low ragged noises as her orgasm swept through her. He prolonged the pleasure as long as he could, drawing it out by alternately grazing her pulsing clit with his thumb and probing her honeyed depths with his tongue. As she finally regained some semblance of control and gradually loosened her grip on his hair, he slowly stood again and pulled her from the bike, gently gathering her into his arms and kissing her temple as aftershocks wracked her body.

"You ready for me now?" he rasped, shifting his hips against the soft swell of her belly so she could feel for herself what she'd done to him. He'd never been so rock-hard in his life, so far beyond merely aroused that it bordered on painful. Smoothly switching places with her, he reluctantly released her so he could climb onto the motorcycle. She stared at him dazedly as he swung his leg over and then reclined backwards, bracing himself with the flat of his hand on the bitch seat and spreading his thighs in invitation. Keeping his hooded gaze locked with hers, he took himself in hand and stroked his straining cock, slowly drawing his fist up over his engorged head and then back down to his root again with a deliberate, teasing pace. "You want this, come and get it."

Carol was flushed all over, her nipples hard and her breasts jutting forward with each excited breath she drew. She bit at her bottom lip and then carefully stepped on the foot peg, lifting her leg over top of him until she was straddling his waist. Daryl groaned as she clutched his shoulders and framed his flanks with her thighs, pressing herself against his thick, ready dick.

"You're mine," she whispered hoarsely, a predatory gleam sparking in her eyes as she stared down at him.

"All yours," he agreed without reservation, subtly adjusting his position and lifting her by her hips until he was nudging her entrance. "Always, Carol. I swear it."

Her eyes misted a little and she nodded. "For however long always is, I'm yours too," she replied, her voice breaking slightly with emotion. She leaned down and kissed him softly before she eased back and slowly lowered herself, taking him all the way into her sweltering, sultry core.

Carol hissed as her body adjusted to his girth, her arms shaking slightly as she grasped his shoulders tightly enough to score him with her fingernails. His eyes fluttered shut as he felt her rippling along every inch of his length and he held his breath, trying to keep from cumming before they'd even had a chance to get started. Being with her – being _inside_ of her – was more than perfect, it was _sacred_.

As amazing as it felt in the cradle of her hips, as far as the reality of the act itself surpassed his wildest fantasies, it would have meant nothing if he didn't love her like he did, if she hadn't been the one person who was able to see straight through to his very soul when she gazed into his eyes. The sexual experiences he'd had before this point suddenly seemed pathetic and empty in comparison now, cheap imitations of what being with someone was _meant_ to be like.

Such romantic and admittedly flowery thoughts were all but driven from his head when Carol rose up and then swiftly impaled herself on him again, the slap of flesh on flesh loud and almost startling in the tiny space. Strands of her dove-grey hair clung damply to her forehead and her eyes were closed as she began to move, swivelling her hips as she stroked him with each jarring plunge. She looked like a goddess as she rode him, taking exactly what she wanted and on her own terms, and the sight her doing so just about pushed him over the edge.

The bike squeaked and wobbled beneath the uninhibited, demanding pace she set, and Daryl sent up a silent prayer that the blocks holding it in place wouldn't break apart before they were finished. He guided her rolling motion with a hand on her ass, and met her thrust for pounding thrust until he felt the faint spasms around his cock that signalled her swiftly approaching climax.

"Daryl! Now! Now...now...oh...ohhh...GOD...!" It seemed the most she could manage, the single utterance filled with demand and urgency. Carol arched her back sharply as her limbs locked up and her womb convulsed, her orgasm erupting with a physical intensity that caught Daryl off guard. He was caught in the overwhelming wave of it and dragged over the edge too, a rough cry of utter gratification breaking from his lips as he emptied himself into her in long, hot bursts.

Carol's eyes were wide with wonder as she stared down at him, the act clearly moving her every bit as much as it had him. With a shuddering sigh, she collapsed limply on top of him, her skin as sweat-slick as his from both the heat and their enthusiastic exertions. He carefully moved one of his legs so that his foot was flat against the floor, making sure that their combined, exhausted weight wasn't going to cause the bike to finally fall to one side.

When he could find enough strength to raise his head again, Daryl planted a lingering kiss on her forehead and wrapped an arm tightly around her, unwilling to let her go now that he finally had her – _really_ had her. For good.

After a period of contented, comfortable quiet, Carol raised her head and smiled at him, almost glowing in the aftermath of what they'd shared. "Best. Ride. Ever," she said, her voice rich with happiness and affection.

He laughed and brushed her curls back from her face. "I'm gonna have to check the shocks before we take it out on the road. Might need a bit of a tune up after all this."

She scanned his face and then nestled her cheek against his chest, lightly fingering the pale hairs that dusted his pecs. "Do you know what I wish?" she asked quietly.

"Tell me," he said warily, picking up from her tone that her mood had shifted from one of delight to something more solemn. He trailed his fingers lazily down the line of her spine, trying to sooth her through whatever trouble had intruded on their time together.

"I wish we didn't have to go back. I wish that from now on, it was just you and me on our own. And yes, I know all the reasons that's a bad idea, that there is safety and strength in numbers but…" she trailed off wistfully.

"They're our family; they need us," he answered, scowling to himself at the thought. The idea of having Carol just to himself was a tempting one, but he'd never had people who cared about him the way the others did. Sure, they had their problems – some pretty fuckin' big ones, given the world they lived in – but it was still a thousand times better than the family he'd had before everything had fallen apart.

Carol nodded and then sat up, wincing as she gingerly dismounted and got both feet back on the floor again. "I know," she said with a half-hearted smile, retrieving her clothes and shaking the grime from them before she began pulling them on again. "It was just a senseless whim, that's all."

Daryl eased himself off the bike and gently took her by the shoulders so she'd have no choice but to look him in the eye. "Why?" he asked. "Is it because of Rick? 'Cuz he told me he'd asked for your forgiveness for what happened back at the prison. And Ty said it was all settled between you an' him, too, so I don't understand…"

"Because when we're there, it feels like we're just surviving," she confessed in a rush. "It's such a fight, every day. When I'm alone with you, I feel like I'm truly alive!. In this moment, here and now, you're _mine_. Back with the group, I have to share you with everyone else. And you love that, I know you do – because you finally belong somewhere and have people who make you feel that you're important to them every day. But it's not like that for me, not anymore."

His heart ached for her, wishing he could undo what Rick had done to her, wanting to take away the pain that she had hidden deep inside after Mika and Lizzie had died. "If you asked me to and really meant it, you an' me would head out on our own tomorrow," he vowed. "But without us, I'm not sure the others would make it. I don't know that I could live with myself, walkin' away from that responsibility – and I'm willin' to bet you couldn't either, in the end. But you _have_ me, Carol. My whole heart, all of me. No one's going to come between us again, I swear. Not Rick, not nobody."

The stress drained from her face and she nodded. She settled her small hands against his chest and he caught a faint twinkle of mischief as her sky blue eyes met his again. "Will you promise me something else?" she asked.

"Anything," he teased back, pulling her close again and kissing her softly.

She smiled against his mouth. "Promise me that we'll take another ride on your bike as soon as the opportunity presents itself."

"Good to go when you are, babe," he said, roughly taking her clothes from her hands and throwing them to the floor once more. "Fuelled up and ready to roll."

~fin ~


End file.
